Mylan: Generic EpiPen Costing Half-Price of Brand Name Coming Soon

In this photo illustration, EpiPen, which dispenses epinephrine through an injection mechanism for people with severe allergies, is seen as the company that makes it, Mylan Inc., has come under fire from consumers and lawmakers for the price that it is currently charging. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Mylan will launch a generic EpiPen in response to a public outcry over the high price of the lifesaving epinephrine auto-injectors used to treat severe allergic reactions.

The generic version will be offered at a 50 percent discount for $300 per pack, compared with the current price of $600 per pack for the brand-name version. Insurers and distributors would benefit while the impact on consumers would depend on their insurance plans, The Wall Street Journal noted.

"We understand the deep frustration and concerns associated with the cost of EpiPen to the patient, and have always shared the public’s desire to ensure that this important product be accessible to anyone who needs it," Chief Executive Heather Bresch said, according to the Journal.

On Thursday, Mylan said it would offer programs that would cover patients' insurance out-of-pocket costs up to $300 and expand the number of low-income patients eligible to receive company subsidies. Those steps were taken in an attempt to quell outrage over the company's price hikes.

The company acquired EpiPen in 2007, when a two-pack of the auto-injectors cost $100, and began steadily raising the price to the current $600 amount, The New York Times reported.

The move to introduce a generic version is unusual as drug makers typically do so in response to competitive pressure from other generic alternatives, the Times said. The Food and Drug Administration rejected a generic version of the auto-injector from Teva earlier this year.

"Mylan will continue to offer both — generic and brand — options for patients so that they can work with their healthcare provider to determine the best option for them," the company said in a statement.

However, it isn't clear why consumers would buy the more expensive brand-name version after the company described both options as identical, CNN reported.

Consumer rights organization Public Citizen said the strange move is a "signal that something is wrong," according to CNN.